Carrying Devices for Rf Tokens

ABSTRACT

A carrying device adapted to hold one or more RF tokens and incorporates electrically conductive linings to shield said tokens from each other when the device is open or an unshielded compartment containing an individual token is presented to a reader but which shields the tokens from all electromagnetic radiation when the device is closed. The linings are made from a metal foil or other conductive material and a typical device has the general construction of a caring case or wallet which has compartments to hold sundries, bank notes, cards and visual material and in particular to hold RFID tags and contact-less cards. The wallet or case may also contain one or more panels adapted to hold RFID tags and contact-less cards and to fold out of the wallet when the latter is open allowing individual RF tokens to be presented to a reader.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to carrying devices such as a wallet adapted forstoring radio frequency tokens such as contact-less radio frequencysmart cards and identity tags which in normal use shield the token fromelectromagnetic radiation but also allow it to be presented to a readerwhen required.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Developments in radio frequency (RF) technology are evolving at a rapidpace with contact-less integrated circuit cards (ICCs) and RF identity(RFID) tags now in wide use. These RF devices provide speed andconvenience of use since they can be presented to a reader at a distancebut this same feature can also be used by unauthorized parties to readthe data stored on said tokens.

To date the smart card industry has developed the following technologieswhich operate without engaging the contact interface:

Close-coupled (ISO/IEC 10536-0-1 mm range), have no metallic contactsbut must be physically touched on a reader. These are receiving renewedinterest as technological innovations have made them a cost-effectivealternative to contact cards for a range of applications.

Proximity (ISO/IEC 14443-1-10 cm range, type a, b), typically operate atup to 10 centimetres, are currently the focus of industry activity, asthey are making headway in replacing magnetic stripe as well as chipcards used for ticketing and payment cards.

Near Field Communication (ISO/IEC standard (ISO/IEC18092) operates inthe 13.56 MHz frequency range, over a distance of a few centimetres.Operating at data rates of 106 kbits/s and 212 kbits/s, NFC iscompatible with Philips' MIFARE® (ISO 14443 A) and Sony's FeliCa smartcard protocols. Higher transmission speeds up to 424 kbits/s can beachieved between dedicated NFC devices.

Vicinity (ISO/IEC 15693-1-100 cm range), operate over a distance of upto one meter, and is used primarily in the domain of access control andmaterials tracking. Many see vicinity as a potential replacement forvarious proprietary RFID technologies.

RFID are generally of two types, low frequency 300 KHz and ultra highfrequency 902-928 MHz. Both technologies are referred to as RFID as theyinclude a unique identifier for each chip. An international standardISO/IEC 18000, which describes RFID in the context of supply chainmanagement, is now available, although most current solutions use anumber of proprietary specifications.

Contact-less smartcards are credit card sized cards that are beingmarketed to consumers as a convenient alternative to magnetic stripcards for storing financial, health and other personal data. Because oftheir ability to store relatively large amounts of data on an embeddedmicrochip, and associated security, it is envisioned that these cardswill eventually be used for all banking, transportation, healthcare,insurance, social security, welfare and other personal data.

It is envisaged that the IC's embedded into RFID tags and contact-lesssmartcards will eventually replace other forms of information cards suchas magnetic strip cards and contact smartcards, primarily due to theirconvenience. Whereas the latter must come into physical engagement witha reader, contact-less smartcards can exchange information with a readervia magnetic, RF, infrared or visible light radiation. In the case ofmodulated magnetic or RF radiation, a contact-less smartcard does nothave to be removed from a persons wallet or carrier for the IC to bepowered up for an exchange of information to occur. An internationalstandard has been established which sets a range of one meter betweenreader and contact-less smartcard. Accordingly while magnetic strip andcontact smartcards both deny surreptitious access, a contact-lesssmartcard can be powered up and accessed without the card owner'sknowledge.

The chips or IC's used in smartcards can be manufactured in a lesssophisticated form called an RFID chip. In their simplest form, thesechips do nothing more than provide a means to remotely identify anobject to which they are attached. They come in several differentphysical embodiments such as coin or pill shapes and are being installedin key rings, gambling chips and military dog tags for tracking andcommercial applications. While RFID chips are generally lesssophisticated than smartcards, they are still capable of being poweredup and interrogated without the owner's knowledge.

For several reasons, contact-less smartcards do not typically have anembedded power source. First, most battery chemistries contain heavy andtoxic metals and since these cards will routinely be lost or discarded,embedding a power source in the card would result in a negativeenvironmental impact. Second, these cards are projected to bemanufactured by the billions worldwide and any product that is producedin these numbers is extremely sensitive to manufacturing costs;Incorporating a battery into the card is simply too costly. Therefore,the most common approach to providing power to the embedded chip is viaa modulated magnetic field. Such a magnetic field induces a current in aloop antenna (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,323 to Jreft, 1993)which is typically laminated as an internal layer of a smartcard. Theembedded chip is usually manufactured with on chip charge pumps andpower regulation to provide different voltages to the various parts ofthe chip. Some RFID chips have the inductive loop built right onto thechip eliminating the need for any external antenna at all.

Commercially produced RF readers typically have a range of one meter.However, it is possible that a reader could be produced or modified togenerate a much greater magnetic field strength and thereby increase theeffective range of communication. If such a reader were also equippedwith a very sensitive receiver, the range and penetrating ability of thereader could be further enhanced. Since a RF tokens do not need to comeinto physical contact with the reader to exchange information, the usercan no longer take a proactive role in securing the information on theIC. The owner must now rely entirely on software encryption or biometrictechniques for security. Accordingly electromagnetic shielding can beused to protect information without requiring proactive measures by theowner.

There are a number of ways in which shielding can prevent the exchangeof information between a RF Token and a reader. The simplest method isto prevent the card from being powered up by the electromagnetic fieldby shielding the RF token. Another solution is to simply shield orprovide a means to disabling the antenna which may employee a pressuresensitive switch or special shielding built into the antenna. Theproblem with shielding only the antenna is that the antenna can couplecapacitively to the shield in such a way that the shield itself becomesan antenna.

Therefore the best way to prevent unauthorised exchanges is to preventthe magnetic field generated by the reader from powering up the RF tokenin the first instance. A number of prior art documents disclose thismethod.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,714 issued to Goto (1987) discloses an inexpensivecomposite material made of layers of paper or plastic coated withelectrodeposited iron to provide magnetic shielding. U.S. Pat. No.5,288,942 issued to Godrey and Westfield (1994) teaches a similarinvention using two thin sheets of soft ferromagnetic material which actas ‘keepers’ for the data stored in the form of magnetic patterns on themagnetic strip of magnetic strip cards. The soft ferromagnetic materialin this invention can take the form of metal foil or powders added tomoulded plastic resins.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,941 issued to Roes (1994) and assigned to CubicAutomatic Revenue Collection Group describes an electrostatic shield toprotect the microchip embedded in a smartcard while simultaneouslyallowing communication to occur between the card and the reader. Thisshield is an integral part of the card and its stated purpose is tocompletely shield the chip from the effects of electrostatic potentialaccumulations and discharges while being receptive to alternatingmagnetic fields. However this shield does not give the user any controlover when a data exchange takes place; it merely protects the chip fromelectrostatic damage and maintains communication with the reader.

Another category of prior art includes bankcard holders, which onlyprotect the card from physical damage. U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,505 describesa cardholder that ejects the card when a button is pushed. U.S. Pat. No.5,020,255 describes a cardholder in which the card is inserted andremoved manually and is retained by a snap catch. U.S. Pat. No.4,674,628 describes a similar holder which is incorporated into a keyring and is capable of holding several cards. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,080,223and 4,697,698 both describe cardholders that hold several cards, whichcan be individually removed. What all of these patents have in common isthat their preferred embodiments are made of injection moulded plasticparts which are incapable of shielding against magnetic fields. U.S.Pat. No. 5,337,813 actually mentions protecting the magnetic strip ofthe card from physical damage but it is not concerned with protectingthe information stored on that strip from the effects of magneticfields. None of these are concerned with shielding cards fromelectromagnetic radiation.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a carryingdevice for RF tokens which generally shields tokens from each other andfrom electromagnetic radiation but which allow individual tokens to bepresented to a reader when required, or at least to provide a usefulalternative to prior art devices.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention a carrying device is adapted to holdone or more RF tokens and incorporates electrically conductive liningsto shield said tokens from each other, when the carrying device is openor an individual token presented to a reader, but which shields thetoken or tokens from all electromagnetic radiation when the carryingdevice is closed.

Preferably the electrically conductive linings are made from a metalfoil that sufficiently surround the RF token and be of adequatethickness as to reduce the electrometric field and thus prevent the RFtoken from being powered and therefore unable to transfer data.

Preferably the device has the general construction of a wallet which hascompartments to hold bank notes, cards and visual material and inparticular is adapted to securely hold RF tokens such as RFID tags andcontact-less cards.

Preferably the device also contains one or more panels adapted to holdRFID tags and contact-less cards and to fold out of the device when thelatter is open allowing individual RF tokens to be presented to areader.

Preferably the device can hold up to eight RF tokens each of which canbe individually presented to a reader without interference from theothers when the device is open.

In an alternative form the device has the general construction of amoney purse.

In yet another form the device has the general construction of apassport wallet.

In yet another form the device has the general construction of anidentification badge or wallet.

In yet another form the device has the general construction of a mobilephone carrying case.

In yet another form the device has the general construction of aninsert, lining or sleeve which can be used to shield an RF token that ishosed in any unshielded caring device.

In yet another form one or more of the RF tokens are not shielded fromelectromagnetic radiation when the device is closed thus allowing saidunshielded token to be presented to a reader without opening the device,whilst at the same time shielding RF tokens contained within saidcarrying device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a contact-less smart card being inserted in a wallet;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wallet of FIG. 1 fully opened;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the open wallet of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is the cross section view I of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is the cross section view II of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is the cross section view III of FIG. 4;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a leather wallet 1 which has multiplecompartments for holding bank notes, 2, cards 3, and photographs 4. Inaddition it has, hinged on the right side, two panels 5, 6 which canfold out when wallet 1 is open. Panels 5, 6 also have slots 3 to holdcards.

FIG. 4 shows in cross section the construction of the left hand sectionof wallet 1. Outer skin 7 forms a compartment with the body of wallet 1and is zipped to it by zip 8. This compartment is lined with aluminiumfoil liner 9 which shields the contents of the closed wallet againstelectromagnetic radiation. This section also has compartment 2 to holdbank notes and compartments 3 to hold cards.

FIG. 5 shows in cross section a continuation of this construction in theright hand section of wallet 1 where the continuation of outer skin 7again forms a compartment with the body of wallet 1 and is zipped to itby zip 8. This compartment is also lined with the continuation ofaluminium foil liner 9 which shields the contents of the closed walletagainst electromagnetic radiation. This section also has compartment 2to hold bank notes, compartments 3 to hold cards and compartment 4 whichhas a transparent-window to hold, for example, a photograph.

FIG. 6 shows in cross section panels 5, 6 in their closed position withouter transparent windows 11 forming slip in compartments which arelined with aluminium foil liners 12. Panels 5, 6 also have compartments3 to hold cards and are hinged by a hinging means (not shown) securingthe inner edge of panels 5, 6 to the right edge of wallet 1.

Accordingly, in addition to bank notes, cards and visually displayedmaterial, wallet 1 can hold up to eight contact-less cards 10, 20 incompartments which are shielded from each other and which enable them tobe presented for scanning individually when the wallet is open. Thisshielding from each other is necessary since only one contact-less cardcan be read by a reader at a time; if two unshielded cards are presentedthe reader will not register either correctly.

Further, when the wallet is fully closed the foil liner 9 forms aGaussian (sometimes referred to as Faraday) cage which shields thecontact-less cards 10 held in the inside compartments of wallet 1 fromelectromagnetic radiation thus rendering them secure from unauthorizedreading. However contact-less cards 20 held in the zipped compartmentsformed by outer skin 7 are not so shielded and can be scanned at anytime. Accordingly these compartments should only be used for RFID tagsand other low security RF tags.

Variations

It will be realized that the foregoing has been given by way ofillustrative example only and that all other modifications andvariations as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemedto fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein setforth. For example the carrying device could be a purse, wallet, mobilephone case or a device lining, as used in PDA, laptop computer, key fobholder, of simpler construction and of different synthetic materials butstill using conductive linings to shield radio frequency tokens such assmart cards and RFID tags from each other and from electromagneticradiation. All such variations fall within the scope of the presentinvention.

Throughout the description and claims to this specification the word“comprise” and variations of that word such as “comprises” and“comprising” are not intended to exclude other additives componentsintegers or steps.

1. A carrying device adapted to hold one or more RF tokens whichincorporates electrically conductive linings to shield said tokens fromeach other when the device is open and an individual token is presentedto a reader but which shield the token or tokens from allelectromagnetic radiation when the device is closed.
 2. The device ofclaim 1 wherein the electrically conductive linings are made from ametal foil.
 3. The device of claim 1 having the general construction ofa wallet which has compartments to hold bank notes, cards and visualmaterial and in particular to hold RFID tags and contact-less cards. 4.The device of claim 3 which also contains one or more panels adapted tohold RFID tags and contact-less cards as claimed in claim 1 and to foldout of the device when the latter is open allowing individual RF tokensto be presented to a reader.
 5. The device of claim 4 which can hold upto eight RF tokens each of which can be individually presented to areader without interference from the others when the device is open. 6.The device of claim 1 which has the general construction of a moneypurse.
 7. The device of claim 1 which has the general construction of apassport wallet.
 8. The device of claim 1 which has the generalconstruction of an identification badge or wallet.
 9. The device ofclaim 1 which has the general construction of a mobile phone carryingcase.
 10. The device of claim 1 which has the general construction of aninsert or sleeve which can be used to shield an RF token that is hosedin any none shielded caring device.
 11. The device of claim 1 whereinone or more of the RF tokens are not shielded from electromagneticradiation when the device is closed thus allowing said unshielded tokento be presented to a reader without opening the device, whilst at thesame time shielding RF tokens contained within said carrying device 12.The device of claim 2 wherein one or more of the RF tokens are notshielded from electromagnetic radiation when the device is closed thusallowing said unshielded token to be presented to a reader withoutopening the device, whilst at the same time shielding RF tokenscontained within said carrying device
 13. The device of claim 3 whereinone or more of the RF tokens are, not shielded from electromagneticradiation when the device is closed thus allowing said unshielded tokento be presented to a reader without opening the device, whilst at thesame time shielding RF tokens contained within said carrying device 14.The device of claim 4 wherein one or more of the RF tokens are notshielded from electromagnetic radiation when the device is closed thusallowing said unshielded token to be presented to a reader withoutopening the device, whilst at the same time shielding RF tokenscontained within said carrying device
 15. The de vice of claim 5 whereinone or more of the RF tokens are not shielded from electromagneticradiation when the device is closed thus allowing said unshielded tokento be presented to a reader without opening the device, whilst at thesame time shielding RF tokens contained within said carrying device 16.The device of claim 6 wherein one or more of the RF tokens are notshielded from electromagnetic radiation when the device is closed thusallowing said unshielded token to be presented to a reader withoutopening the device, whilst at the same time shielding RF tokenscontained within said carrying device
 17. The device of claim 7 whereinone or more of the RF tokens are not shielded from electromagneticradiation when the device is closed thus allowing said unshielded tokento be presented to a reader without opening the device, whilst at thesame time shielding RF tokens contained within said carrying device 18.The device of claim 8 wherein one or more of the RF tokens are, notshielded from electromagnetic radiation when the device is closed thusallowing said unshielded token to be presented to a reader withoutopening the device, whilst at the same time shielding RF tokenscontained within said carrying device
 19. The device of claim 9 whereinone or more of the RF tokens are not shielded from electromagneticradiation when the device is closed thus allowing said unshielded tokento be presented to a reader without opening the device, whilst at thesame time shielding RF tokens contained within said carrying device 20.The device of claim 10 wherein one or more of the RF tokens are notshielded from electromagnetic radiation when the device is closed thusallowing said unshielded token to be presented to a reader withoutopening the device, whilst at the same time shielding RF tokenscontained within said carrying device